Severson has eye on Springfield

County Board chairman will apply to replace Roth

Applications are now being accepted to fill the 75th District State Representative position that will be vacated with the upcoming resignation of Pam Roth, and already a local official says he will be putting his name in.

Grundy County Board Chairman Ron Severson confirmed Thursday he will be applying for the position and was just waiting to hear on the process from the Republican Central Committee.

Shortly after, an announcement was released that a committee had been formed and applications were being accepted.

“I think I could do it and I would like the chance to do it,” Severson said.

Roth, R-Morris, announced earlier this month that “with a heavy heart” she will resign from her position some time this summer. Her husband, Steve Roth, has received a job opportunity that will take the family to the area of Houston, Texas.

The appointed replacement will fill the remaining time of Roth’s term, which expires Jan. 13, 2015.

According to the committee’s press release, a cover letter and questionnaire, as well as any other information, such as a resume, need to be submitted to Edward Ronkowski, Will County Republican Chairman, 20821 Briarwood Lane, Mokena, Ill., 60448, or by email at eronkowski@hotmail.com.

The chairpersons of the counties’ Republican Central Committees will do interviews with selected candidates and then will vote. The votes are weighted based on which county had the highest percentage of voters in the last election, which was Grundy.

Severson said once Roth announced her resignation, he began talking about it with individuals and it was suggested to him that he should run for the position. He discussed it with his wife and decided he wants the job.

“Pam is the type of person I would never run against because I agreed pretty much with 90 percent of what she voted on,” he said. “It was not something I had planned, but she is leaving and that does leave a vacancy there.”

Severson said while he goes through the application process he will continue as chairman of the Grundy County Board.

Of the four counties the 75th District covers, Severson has lived in three of them: Grundy, Kendall and La Salle. The fourth county partly in the district is Will County.

He has lived in Grundy for 22 years, but grew up in southern Kendall, where his family has lived since 1876 and still does.

He has also lived and farmed property in La Salle County.

“I’ve been on the board 11 years, it’s my second term as chairman and I’ve never lost an election,” he said.

He said he feels his experience on the county board and the changes he has helped to put forth in recent years makes him qualified to make a difference in Springfield. If he didn’t have the experience on the board, he would not be applying, he said.

“It gives you the opportunity to see the way it works and how you can affect it,” said Severson. “I want to do what I think is right for the people.”